John gerard



(No Model.)

J. GRARD.

SPRING SCALE.

No. 459,108. Patented sept. s, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GRARD, OF NEIV BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO LANDERS, FRARY dz: CLARK, OF SAME PLACE.

SPRING-SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of `Letters Patent No. 459,108, dated September 8, 1891.

Application filed January 26, 1891. Serial No. 379,006. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GERARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at NewBritain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVeighing Scales, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in weighing-scales; and the objects ot' myimprovement are simplicity and economy in construction and general etliciency of the finished article.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my scale. Fig. 2 is a like view with the cap, the hook, and ring removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of my scales on line 0c of Fig. Q; and Fig. et is a vertical section ofthe middle portion of my scales upon the line y y of Fig. 3, the pinion being shown in elevation.

A designates the case, which is circular in outline and provided with an annular seat at its Afront side for the reception of a suitable dial 5. This dial may be graduated in any ordinary manner. As illustrated, the finer graduation-marks are made only upon onequarter of the circle oi' the dial; but in practice the dial will be graduated uniformly throughout its circle. In the center o1' the easeAis a hollow7 post 6, the here in the front end of which is of a size to receive the pinion 7, while toward the rear end ot' the post the bore is of a size to form a proper bearing for the rear end of the pinion-shaft S. This hollow post is a triiie shorter than the distance -from the back of the case to the dial 5 and the ange t) of the bushing 10 is of a thickness to make up for the shortness of this post, as shown in Fig. 3. The bushing 10 has a hub on one side that tits the bore iu the front end ofthe central post and a hub upon its other side that tits a central hole in the dial 5. This bushing is also bored centrally to receive the front end of the pinion-shaft 8 and form a proper bearing therefor, t-he usual pointer 1.1. being secured to the projecting end of said shaft. I also form on the ease two posts 12, which are drilled and threaded to receive the screws 13 for holding the dial in place. The case is also provided at one side with a V- shaped socket 14C for the reception ot the knifeedge 15 of the lever B. This lever is provided at the end opposite the knife-edge with a suitable hook or projection 16, by which to attach one end of the spring 17. The other end of said spring' is attached to the T-screw 1S, that extends through the'ease, and is provided with an adjusting-nut 19 on the outside for the purpose ot adjusting the tension of the spring as in other scales. The lever B is also provided with a pivoted strap or link 20, that eX- tends to the outside ot` the ease and to which the hook 21 is attached. This strap or link 2O projects from the case on the under side dialnet rically opposite the suspensiondug 22, to which the ring 23 is attached. The central hollow post of the case is slotted upon one side to admit the curved rackbar 21, whose teeth engage those ofthe pinion 7. This rack is pivoted to the lever B, as at 25, and provided with a shoulder or arm near its pivoted end that is pressed upon by the spring 2G, with a constant tendency to draw the teeth of the rack against the pinion. This spring is sei cured to the lever B. The rack 2t is held in engagement with the pinion by means of the pin 27, which is received in a suitable socket formed in a lug or projection on the case. This pin is of such length that when dropped into its socket the outer end ot its head is nearly Hush with the inner tace ot' the dial. The knife-edge 15 of the lever B is also of such length from front to rear as to substantially iill the space between the back of the case and the dial. A weight hung upon the hook, the case being suspended by the ring 23, will expand the spring, depress the lett-hand end of the lever, and draw the rack with it, thereby causing the pinion to revolve, when the pointer on the end ot' the pinion-shaft. will indicate the weight, all substantially as in other scales.

By my improvement I arrange the lever, spring, rack, and pinion within a circular ease that is suspended in use after the manner of a spring-balance. The parts are assembled by slipping the lever into the case, connecting it with the spring, dropping the pinion and bushing into the central post, putting the pin 27 into place to hold the rack in engagement with the pinion, and then securing the dial, thus holding all the parts in place. By this coust-ructi on the parts are cheaply and quickly IOO asseinbled and operate with the greatestetliciency when assembled.

I ain aware that platform and pan scales are shown. in prior patents which have a spring, lever, rack, and pinion, and the saine are hereby diselaiined.

I claim as my inventionl. rIhe combination of a portable circular ease having a suspension-lug, the spring 17, the lever B, rack 24, and pinion 7 inside said circular case, and a strap or link pivoted to Said lever and extending from said case at a point diametrically opposite said suspensionlug, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. In Weighing-scales, the case having the central post bored to receive the pinion and pinion-shaft, in combination With the pinion 7, pinion-shaft S, bushing` l0, and dial 5, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

In Weighing-scales, the combination of the case, the lever B,pivoted therein,the rack pivoted to said lever, the pinion with which said rack en `gages, the pin Q7 for holding said rack in engagement with said pinion, and the dial 5 for holding said pin in place, substantially as described, and for the purpose speci- Hed.

et. In Weighing-scales, the combination of the case having,` socket li for a knife-edge, the lever 26, having knife-edge l5 Within said socket li, and the dial 5 for securing said 1ever in place, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of a case, the lever B, having a knife-edge l5 resting in an open socket in the case, the spring I7, the rack 24, the pinion 7, and its shaft S, resting` in a hollow central post of the case, the loose pin 27 on the opposite side ot' said rack, the bushing; IO atI the front end of the central post, and the dial 5, secured to the front of the case, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

JOHN GERARD.

Witnesses:

C. S. LANDERs, R. L. WEBB. 

